This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Gas compressors are used in a wide variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, power generation, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, and the like. The gas may include air, nitrogen, oxygen, natural gas, or any other type of gas. Gas compressor systems generally include devices that increase the pressure of a gas by decreasing (e.g., compressing) its volume. Certain types of gas compressors employ one or more mechanisms that employ a rotational torque to compress an incoming gas. For instance, in a centrifugal gas compressor system, a gas is drawn into a housing through an inlet, the gas is compressed by a rotating impeller, and the gas is expelled from the housing. Often, the impeller or other rotating mechanism is driven by a rotating drive shaft that extends into the housing. In such a system, one or more seals are typically disposed around the drive shaft to reduce the amount of compressed gas that leaks around the drive shaft and out of the housing. Some compressor systems employ a wet seal and/or a dry-face seal for this purpose. Wet seals are common, but typically allow more gas to pass than a dry-face seal employed in the same environment. Dry-face seals are often complex in design and employ an equally complex control system. However, even a dry-face seal is susceptible to gas leaks and typically creates an additional cost relating to installation, operation, and maintenance of the seal.
Unfortunately, gas that leaks past the seal and out of the housing is generally undesirable for several reasons. Gas leaking past the seal may not be recovered, resulting in a net decrease in the product output by the compressor. In other words, gas that leaks by the seal may be unrecoverable or cost a great deal to recover. Further, gas that leaks past the seal may produce other safety concerns that lead to additional procedures and devices in the compression process. For example, the gas compressor may employ additional seals and/or control systems to capture the gas, scrub (e.g., clean) the gas, flash (burn off) the gas, or the like. This can also add to the cost of installing, operating, and maintaining the gas compressor.